Burial apparatus



Apr. 24,1923. mmm J. D. JENNINGS BUHIAL APPARATU? Filed NOV. 4, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY u J. D. JENNINGS BURIAL APPARATUS Filed Nov. L

WITNESSES Apr. 24

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will i on JOHN lDiMliTiEtUhl".liltilItiillTlHlt'G-iil, till tili-lhdlitlalillit liffi llii, EiUUlTH GARULJEIlZ/lt.

Application filed Nov cinhcr a, 1921. flerial No. 512,820.

To all w from i; may concern Be it known t hat ll, Jenn Dawson din:-

nrnos,a citizen of the United Eitates, and a resident otli Charleston, in the county ct it Charleston and State of tloi'ith Carolina, have invented certain new and usetul linprovennents in lBurial Apparatus, of which the following is This invention and more partici a specification. relates to burial apparatus, ilarly to such an apparatus asis designed to receive the earth :ironi a freshly dug grave and hold the same until. such time as it is desired to refill the grave, at which time the apparatus functions to c posit said earth in the a unit mass.

One obyect of grave in substantially the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which may he (llSlTlttIltlGCl and Folded into a compact term so that it may be readily transported from place to place, and which may be assembled and placed inoperative position with a Inininium expenditure oi time and labor.

A further object of the invention is the provision. of such an apparatus which will be simple in construction, certain and ethcient in operation, and which may be easily operated by one The invention person. consists oi certain new and improved features of construction and coinhination of parts which are tully described in the following" specificationand ilh'istrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood, however, that the invention is not lllnlted to the modification therein shown but that such ch anges may be made in mm terials and in detail of construction as fairly nu within the scope oi? the appended claims,

lintheaccompanying drawings. in which like numerals designate like parts l'l'IITOUQIiI- 1 Figure ii. is arear elevation oi the invention. a b

Figure. 2 is a s ide elevation of the saute.

Figure 3 is a tront elevation of the same.

Figures Al and 5 are detail views 0? the hanger. Figure 9isa port ournal,

perspective view of a shai't perspective view oi supsection and 5. The sections 1 and co-operate to harm the bottoiin ot the hopper and may he .)rov ided on their under side with a plurality ojt angular staples 6 adjacent their coin ciding edge '7. These staples are designed to receive a cooperating ll-sl'iaped bolt 8, as shown inll igure l. which functions to secure the sections 1 and 2 together and retain them in the same plane. These sections 1 and 52 they be tliin'ther provided with a plurality cit staples 9 on their rear edges, said staples being designed to receive a bolt 10 which :iunctions to retain the edges oi the sections in alignment and to prevent any longitudinal displacement of said sections.

The sections 1 and 2 are shown further provided with angular staples 11 on their outside edges, which are designed to receive (Bo-operating: lun's i2, carried by the sections 3, 4i: and 5 {LCljilCGllll their corresponding edges, and function to retain the sections 3, a and 5, in planes perpendicular to pivoted hooks i3 and it carried by the side sections 4i: and 5, and designed to engage co- (.iperatingpins l3 and 14: suitably positioned on the end section 3 and the bottom sections it and 2. if desired the sections 1, 9 and 3 may each be :i orn'iedoii two or more joined together by a plurality oi. hinges lo,

lihe hopper is shown provided with a ph1- rality oi. telescopic elevating; supports or less ilh'istra'mi in detail in l i nn 4i. and These lee-s comprise a plurality oi? spaced apart sections it and 17 which may be of similar Formation and provided with aligned apertures 1e and ltiadjacent either extremity, "lhe ncenobers it and be "t ll held in spaced relation by ties or braces 20, and within said space is shown a leg 21 provided with a plurality of apertures 22, any one of which may be placed in alignment with apertures 19 in the sections 16 and 1' so that by inserting" a suitable pin 23 through said aligned apertures a liner adjustment of the supporting members is obtained.

The elevating supports may be attached to the hopper by means of journal members 2%, shown in detailin Figure 9, said members being secured to the under side of the body by any suitable means. Each journal member is shown provided with an aperture 25, designed to co-operate with apertures 18 in the sections 16 and 17, to receive a suitable pin 26, said pin serving to pivotally secure the supporting members to the body.

The adjustable legs 21 are shown provided with a roller 27 on their lower extremities said roller being attached thereto in any suitable manner such as is shown in Figures 6 and 7. The rollers 27 are designed to engage suitably positioned tracks 28 which may be of any desired form and material, said tracks and rollers being designed to reduce the force necessary to raise the apparatus to its discharging position which operation will be hereinafter described.

On the outside edges of sections 1 and 2, shaft hangers 29 may be mounted, and designed to receive a removable shaft 30 shown extending transversely across the entire hopper and adjacent its under side. The shaft 30 is shown provided with a ratchet wheel 31 secured thereto by a suitable key 32, said ratchet being so positioned as to cooperate with a pawl 33 pivotally mounted on the outside face of section 5 near its lower edge, said ratchet and pawl serving to retain the hopper by means to be hereinafter described, at any desired elevation. To rotate the shaft, a crank 3st may be provided which is shown formed integral with the shaft, but if desired the shaft may be made detachable with respect thereto. The shaft 30 may be provided with any suitable means such as apertures positioned in operative relation with respect to the pivoted elevating supports whereby flexible wires or ropes may be secured thereto and subsequently attached to screw eyes 36 carried by the cleats 20 of the supporting members. From this description it will be understood that by rotating the shaft 30. the wires or ropes 35, secured thereto will necessarily wind around the same. this action causing the lower extremities of thesupporting members to more inwardly along the track raising the hopper to the position shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

To prevent the hopper sliding forward during the elevation of the same, the botremor i'slshown provided with a rality of prongs or spikes 36 near its lorward edge and extending beyond the same, which are designed to engage and enter the ground or sod, thus precluding the possibility of any slipping action between the hopper and the ground.

in the event there are existing mounds in the cemetery that would interfere with the laying of the track section 28, suitable track supports 38 may be )I.'O\'l(l(3(l, which are designed to be placed between the mounds 59 and at a height sullicient to elevate the track above said mounds. llhcsc supports may be made of any desired form, and as shown in Figure .11 may be triangw lar in shape, the apexes of said supports cnsuitably provided notches ill in the underside of the track sections.

In operation, the apparatus having been assembled according to the above specilicm tion, the prongs 36 are forced into the tlilltll immediately adjacent the edge of the proposed. grave, the tracks laid, and the elevating supports of the hopper extended rearwardly to bring the hopper into a substantially horizontal position. The grave then dug and the earth therefrom deposited in the hopper of the apparatus. After the ceremonies, and at such time as it desircd to relill the grave the hopper is elevated to the position shown in the drawings, the front section 3 removed by unlatching the hooks 13, lifting it out by means of suitable handles 37 on the upper edge thereof, it being understood that the hopper is at the required angle to cause the contents to slide bodily into the excavation.

Having thus described my invention what claim as new is:-

1. Q3. burial apparatus con'iprising a hopper, a gate at one end of said hopper and adapted to open, means at such end of the hopper for engaging the ground whereby to prevent such end of the hopper from sliding along the ground when its other end is lifted, and means for holding the other end of the hopper elevated as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A burial apparatus comprising a hopper, a gate at one end and adapted to open, a plurality of ground engaging elements at such cnd whereby to prevent such end of the hopper from sliding along the ground when its other end is elevated, pivoted elevating supports adjacent the elevatablc end, said supports provided with rollers adjacent their lower extremities movable track sections to be engaged thereby, a transverse shaft between the ground engaging elements and the elevating supports, and flexible elements carried thereby and attached to said supports whereby rotation of the shaft moves the supporting members along the tracks from horizontal to vertical positions to elevate one end of the hopper.

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lllii ill) 1 ill! 3. A. burial apparatus comprising a hop per provided with soil engaging elements and composed of a plurality of separable sections, means to secure and retain said sections in operative position. with respect to each other; pivoted supports secured to the hopper and means to move the supports to elevate the hopper.

4. A burial apparatus comprising a hopper provided with a ground engaging end, pivoted supports secured to the opposite end, means to move the supports from horizontal to vertical positions, to elevate the rear end of said hopper, and means carried by the supports to predetermine the marimum height of elevation of said end oi the hopper.

5. A burial apparatus comprising a hopper provided with a ground engaging end, detachable elevating supports carried by the hopper adjacent the opposite end, a shaft carried by the hopper, means to rotate the same and means whereby the rotation of the shaft will raise or lower the hopper.

6. A burial apparatus comprising a hopper provided with a soil engaging end, piv oted elevating supports carried by the hopper adjacent its opposite end, a rotatable shaft carried by the hopper, flexible ele ments carried by the shaft and attached to said supports whereby rotating the shaft will raise or lower the hopper and means carried by the supports to predetermine the maximum elevation of the hopper.

7. A burial apparatus comprising a hop per provided with a soil engaging end, detachable elevating supports carried by the hopper adjacent its opposite end, a removable shaft, carried by the hopper, flexible members carried by the shaft and attached to the elevating supports, means to rotate the shaft to raise or lower the hopper, and means carried by the hopper shaft to retain the hopper at any desired elevation.

8. The combination with a hopper pro vided with a soil engaging end, and a plurality of detachable elevating supports carrying rollers at their lower extremities, of an elevated track designed to be placed beneath the hopper in operative position with respect to the rollers, and means to move the supports longitudinally with respect to the track to raise and lower the hopper.

9. A. burial apparatus comprising a hopper composed of a plurality of separable sections, means to secure and retain the same in operative position with respect to each other, said hopper having a forward ground engaging end, a plurality of pivoted elevating supports adjacent the rearward end, a removable shaft carried by the hopper, a crank to rotate the shaft, detachable flexible members secured thereto and attached to the elevating supports whereby the rotation of the shaft will raise or lower the rearward. end of the hopper, and a ratchet and pawl carried by the shaft and hopper to retain the hopper at any desired eleva tion.

10. A burial apparatus comprising a hopper provided with soil engaging elements and composed of a plurality of separable sections, detachable elevating supports pivotally connected with the hopper, means to move the supports to elevate the hopper, and means to lineally vary the supports for effecting different elevations of one end of the hopper.

JOHN DAWSON JENNlNGS. 

